


Sleepovers

by badwolfchild



Series: Boredom [2]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Family, Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Found Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-24 08:33:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13209942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badwolfchild/pseuds/badwolfchild
Summary: Neal has found different reasons to sleep over, and every night he would take down and hide the picture in different places, then the next morning it would appear on the fridge again as if by magic.





	Sleepovers

**Author's Note:**

> You may need to read the first installment to fully understand what's going on, but it's possible to read this as a standalone piece.

Peter yawns for the tenth time and realizes that he's read the same sentence a third time in a row and still has no idea what it says. Putting down the paper, he stretches as he reflects on his day. It started out normal, a little slow since they had no high priority case floating around, but then he did something he was really regretting.

 

Having Neal redo his work. 

 

He could have just accepted it as it was, drawing or not, but he wants Neal to realize that it’s not very professional to be doodling all over official documents. Now the damn kid is making him suffer too.

 

Peter sighs and collects his things while glancing at the time. His computer reads back as 10:19 pm and his stomach growls, reminding him that he hasn't eaten since his deviled ham at noon. 

 

He makes his way down the stairs, noting all the other agents have already left, and heads to Neal's desk to let him off the hook. He’s surprised to find him dead asleep on the report, pen still in hand.

 

He relaxes a little at the sight of Neal's bangs in his eyes, and at how young and peaceful he looks. Peter shakes his shoulder slightly, but Neal just groans and buries his head in his arm to block out the harsh fluorescent lights.

 

Peter shakes him some more. "Come on buddy, time to wake up. You can sleep in the car."

When all he gets him is a groan in return, he decides to try a different tactic. "El has some of that fancy food at home, I know you haven't eaten since lunch."

 

Neal squints as he sits up slowly, all the while stretching. "You make me sound like a stray cat." He still has a hint of sleep in his voice. Peter won’t be suprised if he falls back asleep in the car.

 

"Well you do have a leash as Mozzie would call it, we can just add a little bell."

 

Neal gives him a flat look as he gets up. "Are you done?"

 

Peter is smiling now. "And you are very cat-like the way you strut around,"

 

Neal swings on his messenger bag as he opens the glass doors leading to the elevators. "Haha,” He laughs sarcastically. “You should quit your day job, become a comedian."

 

"It's your fault we had to stay late, I think I'm allowed to make all the jokes I want. Plus, if I quit then it would mean back in the orange jumpsuits for you."

 

"You know, orange really isn't my color, it washes me out."

 

"Alright Cojo, whatever you say." Peter pats Neal on the shoulder.

 

*Line break*

 

The duo didn't get to the house until around eleven, so they are surprised to find that Elizabeth is still up when they walk in. "Hey, Hon. what are you still doing up?" Peter greets her with a kiss.

 

"I knew you'd be home soon so I waited up. Hi Neal, I heard Peter was keeping you hostage."

 

"Yeah," Neal gets up from petting Satchmo. "Apparently the FBI doesn't appreciate it when you doodle on forms." Neal shoots a glare at Peter.

 

"Which reminds me," Peter takes his briefcase to the kitchen despite the two confused looks he gets. Following him in, they find him putting something on the fridge with a magnet. "There."

 

Neal groans when he realizes what it is. "Peter, come on, I thought you were joking."

 

"Sweetie, did you draw this? I think it's beautiful." El straightens it out on the fridge, then opens it to get the leftovers out.

 

Peter and Neal head out to the dining table to sit down.

 

"No fair, you used Elizabeth."

 

"And you wouldn't have done the same if you were in my position?" Neal’s silence speaks for itself. "That's what I thought."

 

Elizabeth comes over then carrying two plates, one had the 'fancy food' as Peter called it and the other with a deviled ham.

 

"Haven't you exceeded your deviled ham limit of none a day?" Neal can’t resist the little jab at Peter.

 

"Haven't you-" Peter starts, but gets cut off by El.

 

"I'll go set up the guest room for you."

 

"You don't have to do that, I'll just get a cab-"

 

"Not this late you're not. You are staying here for the night, no argument." El walks off before Neal could get another word in. Peter smirks and takes a bite of his sandwich. They keep eating and fill the silence with the occasional word or two of mindless chatter.

 

When they finish Peter shows Neal to the guest room. Elizabeth meets them at the door and hands Neal some sleep wear.

 

"Here are some old clothes of Peter's that should fit you." When Neal looks at them and can’t help but chuckle. It was a grey shirt that says, “Property of Marine Corps Base Quantico” and a pair of matching sweat pants.

 

"So I finally get to go to Quantico?" Neal holds up the shirt smirking.

 

"You wouldn't last a day at Quantico. You actually have to work there and you can't draw on any of the work."

 

Neal’s smirk drops from his face. "El, how do you live with this man?" 

 

"Good night, Neal." El says with a smile, putting an end to the banter between the two.

 

After Peter and El went to bed, and Neal had changed (and then rolled up the ends of the sweats, Peter did have a few inches on him) Neal used his 'cat-like' abilities to sneak down stairs to the kitchen and take something off the fridge.

 

*line break*

 

The next morning Neal wakes up to the smell of bacon being fried. Making sure he doesn’t trip on the pants as he goes down the stairs, he makes his way to the table where Peter is eating some eggs and reading the paper. He looks up and wipes his mouth.

 

"Hey there, Quantico. How'd you sleep?"

 

"Morning, Neal." El smiles from the oven where she’s frying the bacon.

 

"I slept great."

 

She brings over the pan with food and a plate with two eggs on it. "Sit, eat. You're too skinny. Those were small on Peter." She gestures to the clothes that were hanging off him. She then sits to start eating. "Oh, I forgot the orange juice." She starts to get up, but is stopped by Neal.

 

"Let me get it, you cooked all this." She sits back down as he smiles.

 

"Thanks, Neal." He goes to the fridge, but hesitates when he sees something that shouldn't be there, his drawing. Putting on his best con man face, he continues to get the juice and heads back to the table.

 

"Here you go."

 

"Thanks Neal, you didn't have to, you're the guest." El glares at Peter where he’s sitting at the head of the table.

 

"Wha’?" Peter asks with a mouth full of food.

 

"It's fine, I get coffee and stuff for Peter all the time."

 

"I thought you guys had clerks for that?" She’s still looking at Peter.

 

"He has something better, he has me." Peter glares at him to his left. "Wow, this is really good bacon." Neal digs into the bacon, finding the plate a lot more interesting to look at and the conversation ends there.

Over the next three weeks Neal has found different reasons to sleep over, and every night he would take down and hide the picture in different places, then the next morning it would appear on the fridge again as if by magic. 

 

On the fourth week Neal found another reason to sleep over. After putting on the Quantico sweats for bed (which Peter had named 'Neal's PJ's' for the number of times Neal had used them while sleeping over in the past couple of weeks) Neal sneaks down stairs and plans on ripping up the stupid drawing once and for all. He turns at the bottom of the stairs and Satchmo gets up from his place on the couch to greet him.

 

"Shhh Satch, go back to bed. Go on, boy." He whispers. The kitchen light turns on and El's voice rings out.

 

"And here I thought you were staying over for my cooking," She holds up the drawing. "Was this what you were looking for?"

 

Neal takes a deep breath. "Elizabeth, I-"

 

"No, it's fine. It's your drawing anyway. Here, that was mean of Peter, and I shouldn't have dragged it out." She handed him the paper. "But for what it's worth, I really do think it's beautiful. Good night."

 

Neal keeps standing there. "Good night." When she’s gone and Neal hears the bedroom door close, he slides down the wall. He stares at the picture in his hands as Satchmo comes up and sits next to him. He looks down at the dog. "What should I do Satch?" The dog just curls up next to him, then looks up at him. He sighs, "Yeah, I guess I should."

 

He pets Satchmo on the head as he gets up.

 

*line break*

 

The next morning, Elizabeth is the first one up as always and goes to the fridge to get breakfast started. She almost missed it, but stops and gasps. Putting her hand to her mouth, she looks at the drawing with the same border, but instead of average paperwork in the middle it, it was of her and Peter on the couch smiling with Neal on the ground with Satchmo. She has tears in her eyes when Peter comes down yawning.

 

"Hon, what happen? Are you ok?" She just points at the drawing. "Wha- oh, wow." He smiles and hugs her while kissing her head.

 

On the top of the paper were two words in perfect cursive,

_ My Family. _


End file.
